Comradeship - War in Altissia - Corrected
by Castle kingside
Summary: Separated in the massacre in Altissia, Ignis is rescued and taken in by another soldier. He got badly hurt and did not only lose his sight but also his self-confidence. Follow him on this short travel back to his old self and meet his new friends. (This story has been uploaded before, but hopefully, I have succeeded to correct the mistakes.)
1. Chapter 1

_Prologue:_

_The evacuation was a stressful event during the war between Altissia and the Empire of Niflheim.  
__An event full of terror, fright and distress and as it was not enough with the infiltration of enemy soldiers, the howler of Gods also echoed through the city.  
__Tremendous forces made the air around the companies tremble and the concrete buildings in the city went crushed to mere marbles mixed with the blood of unfortunate souls.  
__Fallen to his aching knees, once again, Ignis Scientia let out a frustrated war cry as he saw what never could to be unseen; the massacre of women and children.  
__They got ambushed around the ally's corner, their only path forward suitable for children to run.  
__The scenery made it ache inside of him, the knowledge of failure and betrayal... Altissia had fallen..._

Chapter 1: Introductions.

Yet another high-pitched cry of panic left his lips, the smell of blood... no, it was the smell of wood, burning wood, and tea… was it tea? It was all dark except some spots of red and white; his body ached and his hands were trembling out of exhaustion and shock. He put them down carefully, expecting to find blood, pebbles, and concrete but the feeling made him withdrew his hands fast and he clenched his fists against his chest.  
It was linen he felt, soft and clean linen, no traces of destruction, no traces of war… where was he? Who was he? Ignis... he was Ignis Scientia... he was the counselor of the court of Lucis, the prince of Lucis... he was a friend to the prince of Lucis. However, where was he? He could not really tell as all the smells, fabric and sounds where alien to his senses... his thoughts were scattered all over, he could not recall what had happened the last few... was it hours, or was it days? It all was so confusing. Where was his ward? Where was the blond bunch of energy? Where was his friend Gladiolus? His hands moved to the covers and carefully lifted them up, he wiggled his toes as if trying out if they still worked and cautiously put them down on the cold wooden floor.  
Wooden? There were no wooden floors in Altissian hospitals, not even in the castle and certainly not in the castle of Insomnia. Pain rushed through his head as he seated and he moaned tiredly.  
His hands flew to his temples to subdue it but bandages met his naked fingers. Why were his eyes wrapped? That would explain why he could not see. He made another try to rise and this time with success.  
Now, all he had to do was to find the door and then find his company.  
It was a true struggle to move, especially completely blinded.  
He sighed heavily, leaned against something he thought to be a wardrobe, and pinched the bridge of this nose.  
"Should I thank you my gods of Eos for my survival? Or should I curse the thoughts of your very existence?" He muttered tired and searched his pocket when he felt his phone buzz.  
Thankfully, the one putting him in bed had left his clothes on a long with his belongings.  
He answered the call by muscle memory and let out a breath of relief when he recognized the voice at the other end.  
"What the hell Specs! I have tried to call you for a week! We have searched everywhere! Where the fucks are you?" Ignis could not do other than laugh at the question, not because it was funny, but he was unsure of what else to say.  
"Bless you. It is a pleasure to hear that you are still alive. How about His Highness? Iris? Lady Lunafreya, Prompto?" His voice was hoarse and barely audible over the phone but luckily Gladiolus picked it up nevertheless. A heavy sigh was heard over the line before Gladiolus answered.  
"They are all alive... except Lady Lunafreya... we lost her to Leviathan and Noctis are... well... he is still breathing though he has not woken up. Now, where are you? Are you okay?"  
The words about Lady Lunafreya stung hard in his chest; the thought of sorrow overwhelming his ward's eyes was nearly too much for the young counselor to bear.  
"I... I have no idea Gladio... I cannot recall how I got here either... I seem to have lost my sight, maybe broken a rib. I am bruised and sore for sure but I will heal.  
How are you holding up?" At least he wanted to think so; the inner visions were still haunting him, all the blood, the pain and the screams of hurt and fear.  
He sunk to the floor, to drain to continue standing up and too much in distress to think about his original plan about leaving the bedroom he was currently in.  
A hiss of pain escaped his lips just as his friend started to answer him.  
"Specs? Are you sure you are okay? What can you hear around you? What can you feel and smell?" Ignis laughed out again, a shallow and distressed laugh and answered a bit uncertain.  
"Physically I am, but mentally? I start to dwell on that part, to be honest.  
Maybe I will finally lose my marbles." He smirked and took a pained breath.  
"I hear birds singing, I feel a wardrobe, smell firewood and some sort of tea.  
I seem to been taken in by someone and judging by the lack of perfumes and the lingering smell of aftershave I would say it is a younger man in about our age."  
Gladiolus muttered something towards Prompto as he listened to what Ignis said with a deep frown.  
"Going bonkers huh? Nah, not a chance Specs. Try to find out where you are and give me a call, will you? I have to help the kid out here." Ignis nodded silently and canceled the call; there was so much that he wanted to ask, but also so much that he did not dare too. The thought of being blind disgusted him, he refused to be helpless and he refused to let Noctis down once again. He could not bear the thought of it, he would only be a burden for the one he once swore to protect with his life. The best thing he could do was to stay out of the way.  
After he quickly made up his mind about it, he took the battery out of his phone and put the parts beside him. His hands shaking, ribs and head still ached. There was a sound in one of the other rooms, someone whistled, a door closed and steps came closer. Ignis acted on reflexes, despite the pain, felt his way to the door and pressed himself towards the wall behind it with a throwing knife in his hand.  
He was bewildered about the thought, what kind of self-secure idiot was letting an armed stranger roam around his house unsupervised? Well, at least it assured him that this man probably was not an enemy. The door opened slowly and the whistling man entered the room with the trey in his hands, Ignis could tell by the shatter of the chinaware.  
His voice sounded concerned as he spoke and stopped, probably due to the empty bed.  
"So you are awake?" He said and stiffened a little as he felt the knife slightly pressed against his back.  
"Nice welcome party, nothing compares to the joy of being threatened first in the morning." He said jokingly but did not move away from the knife threatening to puncture his spine. Ignis frowned but held his ground for a while longer before he stepped back.  
"Who are you? Where am I? Why am I here? What happened to my eyes?"  
The other man put the tray down at the nightstand and nonchalantly seated at the floor, one knee pulled towards his chest and one arm rested on it turned towards him.  
"I am Snow, this is my home, you were found by my gang NORA in a heap of concrete and wood after the attack on Altissia. You have been out for a week, fighting a concussion and fever. You had me worried there for a while, thought you were never going to wake up. I had a doctor look at you; you were pretty banged up then, how are you now?" Ignis frowned, put his hand on his ribs and searched his way back to the bed where he seated.  
"My apologies, I will take my leave. I do not wish to be a burden, though I thank you greatly for your assistance." Ignis said and searched with his feet for his shoes. Snow snorted and shook his head while he crossed his arms over his chest.  
"Great idea man, surely great, where are you heading? How are you going to get there? A few meters and you fall on your arse. You can at least wait until you have healed enough to walk."  
The words struck Ignis as lightning and he turned towards the direction of the voice.  
"You do have a point. Now, do you care to tell me what happened to my eyes? Is it permanent?" He asked flatly as if he did not care about the answer; that was of course far from the truth. Unease by the question, Snow scratched his cheek and rested his right hand on the back of his neck.  
"I have no answer on that. We found you like that, bleeding eyes and burned... my guess is some kind of explosion. You are lucky to be alive. Were you in a company?" Ignis clenched his fists tight and set his jaw, yet again uncertain about what to answer. He could not really tell the truth for a blunt stranger but he could not lie either, it just was not in his nature.  
"I was... three out of four are alive." Snow hummed and rose from the floor again; he had other things to do than to sit around all day.  
"Breakfast on the nightstand, eat and try to rest. Feel free to lo... feel around; be aware of the stairs though. The bathroom is straight out and the first door to the left. Only to scream if you need help, I will be outside." He left with those words and Ignis was once again on his own in the darkness. The now blind man searched for the tray with his hands and forced himself to eat some broth and drink some tea before he went to sleep.


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2: A life in darkness.

Judged by the sound of a sizzled noise from a frying pan and the smell of toasted bread that spread through the house and out the open door to the porch; he could tell that Snow was finally up and running for the day. Ignis was outside, leaned against the balcony parapet and tried to sort his feelings and thoughts out. He did not know for how long he stood there, neither was he sure of if he even really cared. All he knew that he surely cared for was for Gladiolus to call, to tell him that Noctis had woken up and that he was safe and sound. He had tried to call but he could not seem to remember any numbers and he could not exactly find his way to his phonebook and guess for a name either. He could not even unlock his phone without his vision. All he could do was to wait, and the incapability of making a single phone call was enough for him to feel completely useless. If he could not even do that, then of what use would he be for his King to be? What help could he offer if he could not even help him with what he was trained to do? A frustrated growl left his lips and he closed his eyes hard. He had removed the bandages just after he left bed earlier; only to get disturbed by blinking red spots as light seeped through the bad scarring. Ignis deeply regretted that now as his ribs hurt too much for him to be able to put it back on by himself. He sighed heavily, closed his eyes a bit harder and listened to the singing birds. The counselor felt the worth of the shining sun warming his face, valued each and every moment that he was alive, something he was not even sure that he was worth doing when so many innocent has lost theirs. The sound of quirking wooden floor caught his attention and he returned to the world of his surroundings from the world of his thoughts. A chilled hand found its way to his shoulder and Snow began to speak.  
"Are you not sick enough you think? You should come inside and eat some; you have to build your strength up soldier." Ignis huffed and shrugged, unsure of what to answer, as he seemed to have been quite often lately.  
"I am no soldier, Snow. I am a mere counselor. I was a mere counselor that is. Now I am just Ignis, the lost ex counselor in wherever we are.  
A bit funny is it not? Once I was the most collected and calm man I knew and the next thing I am a total mess and cannot even tell the time.  
Of what use am I as a counselor if I cannot even advise my King?" He asked quietly and clenched his fist until his knuckles turned white. It hit him hard to confess for himself that he had lost abilities that he once took for granted, that something given by birth was so easily taken away. He was about to slam his fist on the parapet but Snow caught his hand just before the impacts and let out a heavy sigh. Ignis could tell that he stood close and he found it a bit uncomfortable that the other man could move so quietly.  
"Hey, easy there Ignis, the parapet has not done anything to deserve such harsh treatment." He said jokingly, though his tone of voice was somber and calm.  
"And I highly doubt that you deserve that either. I know that facing death is near impossible to live through; often you wish that you could have switched places with them.  
However, you cannot think like that, it is no use to resonate like that. It will not bring them back and it will not ease your heart. War is… war, enough said, there are gains and losses, there is so much suffering, but if you do not cherish the thought of you being alive you taunt those who gave theirs to keep you alive, accidentally or not." Snow said and let his words sink in before he released Ignis' hand and leaned his forearms against the carved log in front of him.  
"I know the face of fear, I know the shrieks of desperation and pain and I know the smell of blood and burnt flesh. I have been in a war before. I have lost some that were very close to my heart. I do not suggest that you 'man up' and shrug it off because it does not work that way, it takes time and it takes effort, and it does more damage than one first understand." Snow said and took a deep breath to collect his thoughts before he continued.  
"Was it the first time you saw someone die?" He asked and turned his head to face the stranger beside him. Ignis, who was breathing shallowly by his haunting feelings, shook his head solemnly and answered with an almost whispering voice.  
"Not quite, though it was the first time that I saw children die. I… It could have been Noctis or it could have been Prompto or Iris… I… I know that I cannot think like that, I cannot hold on to all the 'what if's and 'if not's and all that. It will drive me insane if I continue down that path.  
I am already rambling like a lunatic, good work there Ignis. Good work…" He muttered and placed a hand over his ribs again as another pulse of pain hit him. Even if Snow was looking another way, it did not escape him; he shook his head and placed a hand on the other man's shoulder.  
"What do you say about going inside, drink some coffee and you can tell me a bit about yourself that does not include you beating yourself up over things that you cannot take the blame for?" He patted his shoulder and gently shoved him inside without waiting for an answer. Ignis smirked slightly, let Snow guide him onto a kitchen chair and took hold of a cup of coffee.  
"Thank you kindly, I guess being stubborn in a situation like this is not really to my favor.  
It seems like I have to learn to live with this new side of me and make the best of it."  
He said, sipping his coffee. His thoughts whirled around for a while longer before he continued to speak.  
"What do you want to know about me? Though have in consideration that I may be in no position to answer on some of your questions due to secrecy."  
Snow nodded and smeared a roasted piece of bread before he gave it to Ignis and then took one himself.  
"Works fine with me. Try to eat some, you have lost weight already." He said and placed the piece of bread by the other man's hand.  
"How are you feeling? All of you." He waved his toasted bread with jam in the air and drank some coffee from his black mug; cared little to nothing about that he spilled over half the table. Ignis raised an eyebrow at the question and swallowed the liquid down.  
'He is indeed a most peculiar man.' he thought and turned down his head as if to watch the table's surface.  
"All of me? That was a new one… well, my body is sore and wounded but it will heal, most of it at least… my pride? I will pass on that and emotionally, I do not think that I am ready to sort that out just yet. I am afraid to say that I am not really an emotional being, it has not been appropriate during my years growing up, not even in my adolescence. Mentally, I am still wondering that myself, I do suspect that I am in shock.  
I see the same scenery over, and over again. The last things I saw before I lost my vision.  
Though I cannot remember any sounds, I cannot remember seeing a familiar face, it was a blur and then it all turned black. All I could think of in that darkness were my friends, my family… now, I am not so sure if I will ever meet them again."  
Snow leaned back against the backrest and sighed in recognition, he had been there far too many times for his own liking, trapped in the thoughts of despair and depression far within himself.  
"I hear you and I think that all we can do is to patch you up, see to it that you heal and regain your strength. Before you lose your mind preferably, I am not that fond of your sharp knives. You did scratch my back." He said with a hint of humor in a try to lighten the mood.  
Ignis grimaced and placed the other hand on the coffee-mug too.  
"I ask for forgiveness, it was not my intention to hurt you even if I was prepared to do so, have you cleaned it out?" He asked a bit worriedly, he did not want to hurt the man that had shown nothing but kindness towards him.  
Snow chuckled and shook his head in bemusement.  
He was not the man that cared about much, especially not about scratches or problems easily fixed.  
"I would have done the same, nothing to worry about, you have enough already." He ate the last piece of his breakfast and refilled his cup with coffee.  
"What exactly does a counselor do? Never heard of the title before, is it some kind of advisor or something?" He asked curiously and started to clean the table from the spilled jam as he listened to the answer.  
"Indeed. It is a formal title for an advisor, I worked in the court of Lucis, advising and caring for the prince. He lost his mother at a young age so I have been there for him in other ways too. However, as my job I am advising in questions about the ruling, dealing with the peoples' concerns and demands, questions in peace and war, formalities… well, think of it as a paid fulltime parenting but with thrice the amount of work.  
I do have to say that I enjoy my work quite much despite the small settle backs and arguments and I hope to return to his side one day when I feel well enough, and when he wakes up from his coma." He said solemnly and closed his eyes again.  
He did not even understand why he kept opening them in hopeful attempts to see even the slightest piece of scenery. Snow laughed at the description and nodded as he seated on his chair again.  
"Sounds like he is a handful?" He listened carefully but chose to avoid the parts of the conversation that got Ignis in a bad mood. The counselor nodded with a vague smile on his lips, he noticed all too well what his comrade was doing and he appreciated it as it made his current situation more bearable.  
"Indeed… he is quite the child still, especially when it comes to his food and bedtimes.  
He may be near twenty but sometimes I wonder if he has chosen to always be fifteen." He smiled fondly by the thought of his friend and searched with his hand for the thermos to refill his cup.  
"I would do good calling them and ask if he has woken up yet but I may be forced to ask for some help there, I cannot even unlock my phone." He said a bit ashamed and carefully tried to pour some coffee up, though half of it landed on the table.  
If it bothered the host he did not show it, he just cleaned it up with the rag he still held and chuckled at the first statement.  
"Just tell me what I can do to help, I would be happy to." Snow answered and threw the rag in the sink.  
"Your phone rang yesterday when you were asleep, I did not want to intrude on your privacy so I let it rang. I hope you do not mind."  
Ignis shook his head and drank some of the little coffee that he succeeded to put into the cup.  
"Thank you. Though I would very much appreciate if you would be so kind as to help me call them back; they are worried about me." He said and put his phone on the table.  
"There is a pattern lock and a password, A1, B2, C3, C2, C1, B2, A3, B3, B2, B1, A2, the order of the pattern, the password is 748684567NLC and place my thumb on the scanning on the screen." He said and reached his hand forward, nearly tilting thermos at the floor but Snow subtle moved it before the accident happened.  
"Okay, done, this is worse than breaking into Imperial computers… now, you have fifteen missed calls, twenty-eight missed messages, and four voice messages; most of them from Gladio, Prompto, and Iris… the last caller is Noct. Should I call him for you?"  
"That would be very much appreciated, thank you," Ignis answered he felt most of his tension loosened up as he received his phone and put it to his ear.  
The first tone barely made it through before the prince answered in an almost hysterical manner.  
"Where the hell are you? Are you okay? What happens? When are you back? I have searched everywhere for you. Everyone has, there was an explosion and why have you not answered any calls or text messages since you talked to Gladio yesterday? Wh…"  
The counselor blinked a few times, rose from the table and felt his way out of the kitchen and to the porch where he started to speak.  
"Language Your Highness, I am quite alright, please do not worry about me.  
I got hurt but it will heal. You should be in bed resting and not running around and stress yourself up." He said sternly and massaged his temple, he did not really have the mental energy to make this call but he knew it was of the need for the sake of his friends.  
"I have been sleeping for a week until yesterday, was awake for a few hours and slept until this morning. I have not called you back because I could not, due to some unseen predicaments. Now please take a seat before you faint Noctis.  
Your breathing pattern is cause for concern." He felt his way forward until he found a bench and seated on it while waiting for an answer on the phone.  
"How dare you scold me at a time like this? Do you not get it that I am worried sick about you, you idiot? We all are! Prompto has been throwing up all night and you are not exactly helping by not being here where you should be! MOVE YOUR ARSE OVER HERE RIGHT NOW!" The prince yelled the last part and began to sob, it all was too much for him; everything was. He was worried and filled with guilt for everything that had happened.  
Ignis took a deep breath, as deep as he could before he hissed from pain, and pinched the bridge of his nose.  
"Noct dear, listen to me very carefully. I cannot be there right now, I do not know where I neither do I know how to get to you. I am in no condition to travel; I am not deadly wounded but I am not healthy and I do know you Noctis, you will pull this through.  
You are very strong and far too stubborn; sometimes more than a healthy amount. I am safe and I will heal, though I will be different when we meet again.  
Please have patience, you can call me whenever you like. You know that. I will always be here for you and I understand that you are hurt, worried, sad and angry. We all are, but it will fade away eventually." He said calmly but felt nothing of that sort on the inside; all his emotions were set to the same, all he felt was a worry.  
The prince took a deep breath to calm down and seated at his bed.  
"Different how? You will always be Iggy, you know that right? You will always be our friend even if you are damaged on the inside." He said quietly and leaned against the headboard, his shallow and rapid breathes started to make him dizzy. Ignis was quiet for a moment and collected his thoughts and feelings, or he tried to at least but found it easier said than done.  
"I am blind Noctis, I have lost my eyesight. I am uncertain of if I ever will see again and I can no longer fulfill my duties as your counselor." After spoken the words he rather had kept for himself, he was close to tears and had to bite his tongue not to pant from the pressure built up in his chest. The prince was quiet for such a long while that the other man feared that he had fainted, but finally, he answered, pained by guilt but honest.  
"I am so sorry Iggy… I did not mean to… I should not have asked any of you to come with me. I should have known that so…"  
"That is quite enough Noct. It is not your fault. I was being reckless and this is the price I have to pay. Now, are you lying down or do I have to call Gladio and ask him to put you to bed? We will talk more about this once we see each other again. You are going to rest, you have just woken up from a coma and you do sound exhausted.  
Do not forget to eat your vegetables; I will call you again tonight.  
Sleep well, Your Highness." He said and canceled the call, he knew the prince would be unsatisfied with him but he could not care any less at that moment.  
His maternal instinct told him that Noctis had indeed used up more energy than reasonable and if being harsh was the only way to get it through, then so be it.  
He put his phone in his pocket and felt his way inside the house again to find the host.  
Ignis was in need of a shower to wash the dirt away and linger his aching muscles; although he wished he could wash away the images too; along with the traces of blood and other substances he did not want to know the origins of.  
"Snow, would you mind lending me your shower?" He asked and stopped by the door to what he thought was the bathroom but turned out not to be.  
The other man showed up once he had located him and cupped his left elbow in his hand.  
"Not at all, but you may succeed better if you take a shower in the bathroom and not the cellar. Just a feeling I have." He said with a chuckle and helped Ignis inside the blue and white tiled bathroom.  
"Do you want any help? I can wait in here; I have a shower curtain to hide behind." He asked and let go of Ignis once he stood steady.  
Ignis thought it over for a while before he nodded.  
"Might be a good idea, thank you; what may I use to wash, and where is it standing?" He asked and muttered under his breath: 'I guess I know how a mole has it…'  
Snow patted his shoulder with an amused smile and guided him through the shower, reached him a towel when he was done and lent him some fresh clothes.  
Clothes that looked comically large on the thinner built man.  
Once he was dressed, they took another tour around the house to make him more familiar with it and then a trip outside in the garden. Before they knew about it, it was time for dinner and Ignis did not want to miss the chance of discovering if he still could cook or not; even if his newfound friend was against the idea of lending a blind man a knife, he did so but almost hovered by the bench in case of emergency.  
"I am quite sure that I can chop carrots without an extra pair of hands. Would you please set the table before I accidentally hurt you with anything? I feel a bit uncomfortable when I cannot see your fingers." He muttered, though it was more of a subtle way of saying 'stop fussing over me, I can do this myself' but he did not want to sound rude.  
Snow hummed and dried the table off, made it ready for dinner and then leaned against the sink unit while he waited.  
"I am amazed over how well you cook even blinded, I cannot even fry an egg without putting it on fire, believe me, I have tried far too many times; cannot afford a new frying pan for a while." Ignis chuckled and felt his way over to the frying pan where he was frying the fish, he felt on the smell and by touch, that it was nearly done.  
"Did you remember to put the butter or oil in? In that case, you have a too hot frying pan, you should flip it once the upper side has settled and put a pinch of salt and pepper on while it settles." The other man made an 'Oh…'-sound and put a hand at the back of his neck.  
"So that is what she meant… my fiancé tried to teach me once; she said that a Chocobo cannot jump if unsteady on his feet. That was the strongest connection to eggs that I have ever heard, did not dare to tell her so though, my sister in law would chop me up next."  
The statement made Ignis laugh and almost drop the fish on the floor while he plated it.  
"Sounds like an interesting lady, what is her name?" Snow smirked and shook his head while putting the done plates at the table.  
"Serah, my fiancé, her sister is called Lightning, though I do not know her real name.  
She does not want to tell, try to see that after three years of hard work and struggling, she does not deem me worthy as a brother in law. Is that not a shame? I mean… who can resist petit little me?" He asked amused and took a seat at the table once the other man sat.  
Ignis smiled warmly and felt with his hands after the silverware.  
"Well… I do not know anything about that, but I do know that petit is French for little so I am not sure that you used that correctly." He took his other hand to feel for the food so he knew where to cut and tried to find his mouth.  
"I never thought it would be so hard to eat with silverware while being blind and I must say it is a very interesting experience." Snow watched him with pity for a moment before he put his own silverware down, scratched his cheek and smiled mischievously.  
"Let us eat with our fingers then, I might as well live up to my reputation as a barbarian."  
"Eat with our fingers? Do you completely lack all kinds of manners?" Ignis asked though he could not say that it did not tempt him. He was far hungrier than he ever could recall being before. A smile played at his lips as he carefully touched the food with his fingers.  
"Oh my… this feels so wrong… so, so wrong…" He mumbled and put a piece of the fish in his mouth with a wrinkle of his nose, the fish was way to salt and hard fried for his liking but the other man's satisfied sound made him keep his good mood nevertheless.  
"This is so good. I might keep you as my personal chef." He said jokingly and put another piece of the food in his mouth.  
"A bit messy to eat the sauce with fingers though, but you have to try everything at least once." Snow continued and chuckled. Ignis smiled warmly and dipped his fish in the sauce before he ate it, it was hard but he fought against the urge to instantly go and wash his hands.  
Maybe there was something in the old saying that everything bad brought something good with it?  
The rest of the day went on in about the same standards, laughter, stories, Ignis accidentally shoved things to the floor, Snow cleaning up while reassuring that everything was fine. Ignis would even go so far as to say that he enjoyed his stay there, the easy atmosphere, the friendly character and the calming nature around him.  
He turned towards where he thought that his host was just before they parted to turn in for the night.  
"Snow… would you mind telling me in which city we are? In case they ask again." He said and was about to put his glasses up by habit but caught himself in the middle of the act and lowered his hand again. The blond man looked at him with a fond smile and leaned his arm against the doorframe and leaned himself on his arm.  
"New Bodhum, a coast town in the region of Gran Pulse; two days travel by airship from Altissia. You should invite your friends, I am sure Serah would love to meet them." He said and pushed himself away from the doorframe to walk up the stairs to the guest room.  
Snow had taken upon himself to sleep there and let his blind friend have the only bedroom on the first floor, his own.  
"Good night, I will probably be gone fetching Serah and Lightning when you wake up."  
"Good night." Ignis countered and entered the room he slept in; he had memorized it quite well and made himself ready for bed before he laid down on it and picked up his phone. He used his voice commando to ask the built-in voice recognizing software to call Noctis.  
And as the first time, only the first signal went through before the prince answered.  
"Good evening Noctis, are you feeling better?" He asked calmly and lay down under the covers in the bed with a bit of a struggle due to his broken ribs.  
The prince took a deep breath in relief and moved to the balcony to talk undisturbed.  
"Physically at least… let us say that Prompto found a new area of use regarding duct tape.  
My hair is a straight mess." He muttered unhappily and coughed in the crook of his arm.  
Ignis frowned and stroked his right hand over his face.  
"What do you mean by that? What exactly did Prompto do with that duct tape, Your Highness?" He asked tiredly but wondered if he really did want to know the answer on that. Noctis chuckled and leaned against the parapet of the balcony at the hotel.  
"Well… I may have caught a cold after all the battling in the sea, I… well… I was trying to sneak out to get a bit of air while Gladio was away but Prompto taped me to my bed instead and demanded me to rest." The counselor sighed heavily and pinched the bridge of his nose.  
"Noctis Lucis Caelum… you have to rest up until you are healthy, wear your jacket and eat your greeneries. Do not for a second think that I will let you get away with this once I am back. You will wish that you were born deaf." He scolded sternly only to be met by warm laughter.  
"You know Iggy… I have missed that. I miss you very much… you are like a parent to me, someone who keeps me calm and secure, someone who makes me feel safe, loved and cared for. I need you, Iggy… I need your words, your voice humming me to sleep, your nagging at my eating habits, your mum-ish behavior. I am not ready to be this Noctis. I am so lost… I feel so empty and alone though I know that I am not… I dream about her… I see Ardyn stab her over, and over again. I see all the blood… you were missing… I had no idea of where any one of you was and then it all went black and I woke up and you were gone… Just like that time with Marilith." He said and started to cry violently, the sound tore Ignis heart apart and he took a seat in his bed again and started to hush him.  
"Hush dear… deep breaths Noctis, deep breaths and try to calm down.  
Everything will work out one way or another. I know it hurts very much though it will eventually fade away to memories." He tried to calm the hysterical prince for quite a while before he gave up and asked.  
"Would you put Prompto on the phone please and try to go to sleep? I will call you tomorrow." Noctis mumbled something and canceled the call instead before he went to bed. Ignis huffed and closed his eyes, it did not take long for the exhaustion to reach he and he fell into a heavy sleep.


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3: Putting escape tactics to the test.

[Noctis]

Tossing and turning over and over in his bed for hours had pushed his already distressed mind to the edge. He could not concentrate, he could not calm down and he definitely could not sleep despite his three hours long effort. He was incomprehensibly tired, his head throbbed, his throat burnt and his nose was stuffed, though it was neither of those things that kept him awake, it was the worry for Ignis. The frustration was built up to a maximum and he had set his mind on putting one of Gladiolus all escape tactics to the test; it was the very reason to why he had learned them, was it not? In order to escape captivity, 'well, probably not from him…' Noctis thought and left his bed as quietly as possible. Prompto was sleeping on the sofa in the same room, far too stubborn to return to his own after prince's latest attempt to sneak out unnoticed, he had to be extra careful. 'Well… jumpy Chocobo is my slightest problem; I have to figure out a way to prevent Gladiolus to check on me again. I will need a good lead and a silly amount of luck to pull this off. Good thing that I packed my bag beforehand.' He thought quietly and carefully opened the door to the balcony. He needed a way to distract Gladiolus; the question was how. One could say many things about the Amicitia family, but stupid was not one of them.  
'Maybe a sleeping spell would work? Ehm… no… I do not know any spells… maybe I can slip a sleeping pill in his tea. That could work… I could knock on his door and see if he is awake, ask him to drink some tea with me because tea is good when one is sick... good idea! Now, where do Iggy store my sleeping pills?' He thought and carefully went past the sofa where Prompto slept; the blond teen mumbled something in his sleep which made Noctis freeze for a short while.  
"Where ya' goin'?" He mumbled tiredly and looked at the prince through sleepy half closed eyes. Prompto had been trying to keep himself awake in case his friend needed anything.  
"Bathroom, need to pee." He whispered back and laid a comforter on top of him.  
"Go back to sleep." Prompto nodded and closed his eyes again, much to Noctis relief as he took his jar of pills from Ignis' bag and carefully tiptoed towards the door when he suddenly stopped. 'But how shall I do this? Is he even awake? If not, this will only be spilled time…' He shook his head and swallowed a coughing fit, took his bag and started climbing down the balcony. Well on the ground, he turned his phone off and took a deep breath of the nightly chilled air. Praised himself that he actually put on his jacket for once, it was freezing outside. Now, all he had to do was to sneak and that fast, it would probably be a good idea to investigate where the nearest airport was too but that was something he had not thought of yet. The stroll towards the road was a pain walking with a sore body, the chilled winds hit his face and the nightly ferries out of Altissia were hard to spot. His passport would surely be a trouble for him too; it was not exactly easy to travel incognito when you were the prince of one of Eos most famous countries. Surprisingly, the escape from Altissia went smooth without any disturbances.  
He succeeded to find his way down to the train station with his face well hidden by the large hood on his sweater, under the jacket.  
'It is almost too easy… like the Astrals wants me to do this…' He mumbled to himself and absentminded handed the ticket to the conductress when she walked by.  
Deep down he knew that this was a very bad idea and that he would get into a massive amount of trouble with each and every one of his friends, but he refused to let the knowledge hold him back. If he got to see Ignis with his own eyes and see that he was okay, then it was worth every harsh scolding he would get, and three times over too.  
Ignis' parental character was the only steady guidance in his life as well as one of his closest friends. He simply could not ignore the feeling that he would lose him forever if he did not seek him out himself, and to lose Ignis was one of his biggest fears.  
The train finally started moving and Noctis let out a deep breath he was not even aware of that he held; thereafter he was surprised by a sudden coughing fit, 'Cursed be these colds… maybe I should start to listen better at was Ignis has to say. Funny that sayings are so accurate, you do not know what you have until it is gone.  
Well… Ignis is not gone, yet, he is not allowed to… ever…' The thought might have been selfish, but he could not suppress the feelings of that Ignis kept away due to selfish reason as well, he would have to corner him about it, talk some sense into him; so much sense a senseless prince could muster that is.  
The train went on for a good while, the sunrise played on the horizon painted its colors of cerise and orange over the faraway fields and the ocean.  
It was a spectacular view indeed, sadly enough, Noctis could not tell as he had fallen asleep just moments earlier. Yet another hour passed and the train had reached its final station. Noctis exited the train and started up his phone in a try to figure out where he was and how to get to Gran Pulse, the phone buzzed like crazy for good five minutes and he scrolls down the list of missed calls and text messages, all from Prompto.  
'Good... that means that Gladiolus has not yet noticed that I am gone.' He opened the latest text message from his friend and read it.  
¨Where the flaming Ifrit are you?! For real?! ANSWER ME!¨ Noctis swallowed nervously, he could tell that Prompto was extremely angry with him and that would take some time and smooth talk to settle straight.  
¨I am alright, do not worry, out on a stroll, will be back, calling later. Sleep.¨ He sent it and opened up his map app to see if he could find his way.  
'Wow... more luck? What is this?' He mumbled surprised as he found out that he only was a couple of kilometers away from the closest airport.  
He got an answer from Prompto that he opened with a sigh.  
¨You are dead meat. Iggy will tan your arse to the end of Eos and back when he hears about this! Twice! I will call him right now!¨ His eyes widened and he took a screen print of the map before he turned the GPS, network and roaming data off.  
Despite wanting to see Ignis very badly, he was not keen on getting a public scolding; especially not while having a migraine. He caught a taxi to the airport, paid him with the right amount of Gil and searched for the earliest flight towards Gran Pulse. 'Great... two hours to wait... might as well freshen up and make a plan' He thought somber and went to the washroom; splashed some water on his face and put a hand on his forehead with a grimace. 'He will kill me if this cold does not… I guess I only have myself to blame for this mess.' He muttered and placed both hands at the rim of the sink.  
Noctis was tired but he did not dare to fall asleep, what if he missed the flight? That would be horrible and then he would be stuck in absolutely nowhere.  
'Maybe if I can take a short nap if I put on an alarm? No, that would be stupid, I would draw attention to myself and that is certainly one thing that I shall avoid to every cost.  
I wonder if Prompto really called Ignis… there is only one way to find out.' He started the roaming on the phone and waited for it to stop buzzing before he looked at it.  
Prompto had spammed him, but he was also the only one sending text messages, did he cover for him? After some nervous scrolling, he started to read the latest first.  
¨Noctis… please? At least call so I know that you are okay. I have not called Iggy; Gladio was called away by Cor… I am alone here now, worried about you as well as scared. You know that I hate to be alone…¨ The young prince bit his lower lip hard and tried to suppress his bad conscious as he called his friend.  
"Prompto?" He asked as soon as the phone picked up at the other end; followed by sobbing and cries.  
"Hey… are you okay buddy?" Noctis asked worriedly and seated at the toilet's seat, he was too tired to stand up and wait for the airship to arrive.  
Another hard sob came through before he got an answer.  
"No… where are you? Why did you do this to me? What have I done wrong? Tell me so I can fix it." Noctis huffed; stroked his left hand over his cheek in a tired manner.  
"You have not done anything wrong Prompto, I promise. I did a mistake, I am on my way to see Ignis but you are so worried about me when I get sick so I thought that if I asked you to come with me, you would have prevented me from going. I have to see Iggy." He said quietly and blinked a few times to get rid of some tears that threatened to fall.  
"Damn right I would, you should be in bed and rest, not on the run… are you okay?" Prompto asked; sobbing even harder. One could tell that he fought against both panic and anxiety.  
"I know Prom, I know…" He started to fiddle with a thread on his jacket and continued.  
"I am okay, not very good but I am okay and I am safe. You do not need to worry. Though I want you to wait in Altissia on Gladio's return, I know you are strong and can fend for yourself, even better than I can, but he would be even more worried to find an empty room and your social anxiety would not serve you well where I am. It is far too many people here and I do not want you to panic and get lost." Prompto hiccupped and sniveled, he was angry with his friend for being abandoned like that but also very worried about what made him do it, was his current mental state so bad that he could not think reasonable? Was the loss of his betrothed so hard to handle that he had lost his mind? Or was it simply because he cared more about Ignis than he cared about himself? The blond teen could not tell and it made him even more frustrated.  
"You should have made me come with you… or am I too weak? Have you abandoned me? Maybe Ignis is more important than I am instead of equal as… or are you just a sadist?" He muttered angrily when the sobs had subdued.  
Noctis froze mid-movement and frowned deeply, scolding himself for not paid Prompto's feelings any attention.  
"Yes and no… I should have asked you, you are not too weak. You will always be my best friend Prompto, you will always be my brother and I love you for who you are; do not you ever forget that, okay? The thing is that I cannot think straight right now; I cannot… everything is too much to comprehend, I am very sorry that I hurt you, Prompto I mean it, I am very sorry. I know that I can talk with you about everything and I appreciate that very much, more than I can express, but this time I do need a parent and Ignis is the closest person to a parent that I have ever had. I was so afraid that I had lost him too and… I have to meet him to understand that it will not happen. To do as I have done today is wrong and dangerous, I get that but I did not think about that when I left. I was too distressed, to frighten and too much of a coward to face reality. I had absolutely no intentions of scaring you, or make you feel bad, I promise. When I get to my destination and have seen Ignis I will return to you with him if I can; otherwise, I will call Gladio myself and confess what I have done and ask him to come and get me.  
How does that sound? I will take whatever punishment you give me, even eat broccoli." The last statement made Prompto laugh a little and he nodded for himself.  
"Okay. But Iggy needs to call me when you get there so I know that you have arrived safely, I cannot trust you anymore. I do love you brother but you are not trustworthy for half a Gil…" Noctis huffed but nodded for himself in defeat.  
"Deal, now… dry your tears, go and eat some breakfast and rest for a while. You need that, I will let my phone be on, call me when you wake up.  
That is a royal order." Prompto sneezed at the other end of the line and dried his nose before he answered.  
"Mm… and stop making me sick every time you catch a cold. I will call when I wake up." He mumbled and canceled the call.  
The prince sighed heavily, put his face in both his hands and stared at his phone for a while before he wrote a text message to Gladiolus.  
When done, he left the bathroom to wait for the airship.  
¨Take care of Prompto, he got sick. I will be back later this week.¨ He sent it and carefully made his way to the seats to wait the rest of the time, ignoring the calls that Gladiolus made. He knew that no one would talk to Ignis about it as he already had too much on his plate.  
Noctis put his phone in his pocket and sighed. The time went by, slow but forward, and after about an hour he boarded the airship.  
He had found an express line without any stops in between, it had cost twice as much but it was worth it if it meant that he would see Ignis even sooner.  
'So… all I have to do know is to keep awake for six more hours or so… what time is it even? About seven in the morning or something, I guess he will be surprised to find me in New Bodhum or terrified… livid… probably all three.' He shook his head as if he could shake the thoughts away and took a seat nearby a window.  
Next thing was to charge his phone; he put the charger in contact and placed his now silenced phone on his lap while he waited for the airship to lift.  
Though, two female voices coming his way caught his attention as they started to speak about Snow:  
"Why cannot you accept Snow, Lightning? He is a nice guy and we are getting married despite what you think about it." The first voice asked a bit agitated, the second voice, apparently Lightning, answered her with a hint of irritation.  
"Because he is childish, pompous, dull and bold, he is not good for you. You should not even meet him, and WHO in his right mind takes a stranger to his home in times of war? He could be dangerous! He could be a spy! He could have killed him and that would break your heart and force me to kill him again!"  
Noctis could not help but snicker a little at it and glance at the two of them, he had to admit that the older one looked quite dangerous, but what made them stand out so much was their pink hair.  
"Now you are being totally unfair, I am sure Mr. Scientia is a very nice guy too, Snow said so. They are having a good time together." The first voice said.  
Lightning snorted and looked around for a couple of seats but the only ones not occupied were at the opposite side of the table where Noctis sat.  
She pulled the other girl down beside her and took a seat. "Maybe they should get married then and leave you alone Serah, I told you that he is good for nothing."  
The name Scientia made Noctis eyes dart to them and he jumped in at the first air pocket to ask:  
"Excuse me ladies, are you on your way to this Snow? Mr. Scientia is my guardian and he is currently staying at Snow's manor. May I come with you?"  
Lightning shot him a glare that could kill and made the prince flinch as he lowered his hood.  
Serah panted in surprise and slightly jumped in her seat.  
"Look Lightning! It is him! It is him! He is N…" The older woman put her hand over her mouth and hushed harshly.  
"Are you trying to get him killed?" She whispered and made a sign to Noctis to put his hood up again.  
"And are you out of your mind boy? Where is your escort?" She mouthed at him; the prince flushed and turned his face away as he mumbled an answer.  
"Altissia. May I come with you or not? I have to see my guardian." Serah nodded and removed the older woman's hand from her mouth, she still could not believe her eyes; the Prince of Lucis sat just in front of her.  
"Thank you, Miss," Noctis answered, ignoring the glare that Lightning shot him again.  
Silence fell between them and it held steady during the long six hours ride, except a few short conversations about food and weather.


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 4: Reunited.

"ARE YOU COMPLETELY OUT OF YOUR MIND? You could have collapsed from that sickness! You could have been kidnapped, tortured! YOU COULD HAVE BEEN KILLED! You could have gotten lost and no one knew where to search! Do you not have the slightest clue about what the word self-preservation mean? Do you not care about what this does to Prompto and Gladio? I… I should turn you over my knee and teach you a lesson, but I am afraid that you are too dull for it to go through." Ignis barked harshly and pinched the bridge of his nose; his unseeing eyes directed towards the ground and the pain in his ribs strained his breathing. He sighed heavily, turned towards the sound of his ward's rapid breathing and shook his head slightly 'I should probably not yell at him… he is both sick and sad and probably in shock too, but what am I to do when he is not even listening to reason? IS there even something to do? Maybe I should just call…' He tilted his head to the side and folded his arms over his chest in a stern demeanor.  
"Do you have anything to say in your defense Your Highness, or should I call Cor to fetch you and ask him to teach you a lesson?" He asked with an almost venomous voice.  
Noctis flinched and bit his lower lip 'Great… I barely had time to enter the garden before he flung upon me and began to yell… I guess that Prompto has called him after all, or Gladio? It may have as well have been Gladio and that would mean that he and Prompto are on their way. I am in trouble for real this time… I guess it will not get any better by ignoring Iggy's questions…' He thought and took a deep breath to collect his thoughts before he answered somewhat ashamed.  
"I… there is not much to say… I am worried about you Iggy, you are the closest thing to a parent that I have ever had, do not take it wrong, I loved my father, but it has always been you who have been there for me; the thought of losing you… I cannot stand it.  
Please try to understand Ignis, please… I did not think at all, I just ran because all I could think of was to see that you were alright, truly alive and the fear that you would not come back to us. I know that I did wrong, I know that I scared you all, I know that this was selfish, stupid and dangerous; but when I finally realized that, I was at the airport already. It was too late to turn back." He said pleadingly and wrapped his arms around himself as if he could protect his inner being from the guilt by doing so.  
Guilt… and relief, those were the only feelings he currently felt. Ignis clenched his fists and took another deep breath, he did not know what to say, the words warmed his heart but he was way too angry to calm down by them and way too disappointed and shocked to let them affect him. He sighed heavily and shook his head again, everything was so frustrating, to hear the prince he swore to protect with his life, doubting his loyalty…  
To hear his ward's hurt and fearful voice, his rapid and strained breathing from his sick body.  
Noctis watched the ground again, bit his lower lip down hard and started to sob, he had expected Ignis to yell at him and to scold him, but he had not expected himself to feel so terrible emotionally and mentally worn out by the words that came out from his friend's mouth. Noctis had expected himself to feel comforted and happy about seeing him, but everything was drenched in guilt, fear, shame, and sadness. Another sob passed his lips and he took a seat at the ground, the hard stomped earth was the only thing that felt comforting; it was the only solid thing that he could find. Ignis continued to breathe deeply and calm and started to speak again, this time a bit more civilized, but still in a harsh, and serious tone.  
"You are going to text Prompto and Gladio, telling them that you have arrived and ask them to call me in two hours." He said and made a pause before he started to speak again.  
"You are acting like an obstinate child Noctis. It is not fit for a King to be and neither for a man in the twenties. You have to understand that you cannot keep on doing as you please. There are consequences that might harm or even get someone killed; do you understand that?  
You could have died while being on the run! How do you think Prompto would have felt if that had happened while he was in charge of looking after your spoiled bum? You have to start listening to me Noctis Lucis Caelum, I am your chancellor and it is my job to advise you, a job mere impossible to accomplish if you choose to close your ears every time I open my mouth. Answer me on that question and answer me sincerely." The older man scolded sternly.  
The prince of Lucis eyed him over for a while and wrapped his left arm around his knee while texting his friends left in Altissia. He still felt horrible for putting Prompto through all the stress and worry, to make him feel unwanted and abandoned. He let the phone fall to the ground when he was done and turned his face away while thinking out some answers.  
"I understand that I could have gotten killed, believe me, I do, and I feel terrible for scaring you all like that. It was not my intention to do so.  
Though I cannot answer how you have been feeling, simply because it hurt too much to think about right now… I was to protect Lunafreya… hell of the great job I did, maybe I should stay alone and let myself get killed… it would be a lot safer for you all.  
Your words mean the world to me, even if I do not obey, I do listen carefully; you are the only guidance I have in this traitorous life. I do not think that you get it actually, how much you mean to me. I do not care for my sake if you are blind, deaf or loses a limb or two; you are still Ignis, our Ignis… MY Ignis. You are still my guardian, my parent, my irritating mum-ish figure that always nags about jackets, rest and vegetables.  
You drive me nuts all the time but I do not want it to be any other way; I swear. I love you, Iggy, please do not leave me, you cannot do that, you are not allowed to!  
I need you, Prompto and Gladio do too. Prompto has been all running around the walls, a nervous wreck and puked all yesterday night, he barely eats because he is so worried, Gladio is more gruff than usual and barely speaks; he is just with Cor and let Iris take his place.  
You have to come home, you are missed, you belong by our side, I promise to never argue with you again, to always eat my vegetables and to do everything else you say if you only come back…" He said sadly and cradled up even more; he was tired and hurt in more ways that he wanted to admit even for himself. He felt so lost and so scared, like a little child who lost his parents on the crowded market. Tears started to fall down his cheeks but he did not bother to dry them away, there was no use as new ones soon would take their place. He did not know for how long the silence enfolded the two of them or for how long he sat there before Ignis searched his way over to him, seated and hugged him tightly.  
"Noctis… there was nothing you could have done for Lady Lunafreya, do not sentence yourself to a life of suffering over something that was not your fault.  
She made her choice to call on Leviathan, she knew Ardyn's plans and she knew that her life would be a sacrifice. Wars are like that, people die and people suffer, nothing is fair, nothing is right, but we cannot blame ourselves for being alive, that is as wrong as killing someone in vain. With time, you will come to term with the event, with your nightmares and all those scenes repeatedly playing in your mind, you will learn to live with it simply by having no other choice. I am sorry for you dear Noctis for losing her, but sorry and blame does not fix anything. You have to work with it, getting past it and move on, let it take the time it needs, do not try to rush it." He said and stroked his arm fondly; he had to say that he had missed his ward too, that he had been deeply worried about his mental health as soon as he heard that he was physically okay. The prince leaned into the embrace and took a hard grip around the older man's shirt with his clenched fists.  
"I know… it is just… first, it was mother, then father, then Lunafreya and I got terrified when I thought that you were next… you were nowhere to be found, all I could see before I lost consciousness was darkness, red, black and smoke… I could smell the bittersweet smell of iron-rich blood; I could taste it in my mouth… I could feel it with my fingers. I held her body while she was still alive, she died in my arms and I could not do anything, I screamed at her, I was so angry… so afraid… I thought I would find you next, dead like the others, like those mothers and children on the streets, like all those fathers on the fields… I… you… you… never leave my side again. Ever!" He cried out and pressed his body tightly against his guardian's torso. Ignis hushed him gently and stroked his hand through the younger man's hair, giving it some air to dry the fever induced sweat from it. He hugged him tightly with his other arm and closed his eyes for a moment thought about what to do with the mess of a boy he held in his arms.  
A heavy sigh flattened his chest and he kissed the top of the prince's hair while mumbling soothing words, the only thing in the present that he could think might help.  
They both sat there for quite a while, finding comfort in each other's company until Ignis nudged him gently and got them to their feet.  
"They are probably back here at any minute, I should start with dinner, do not get into trouble." He said sternly and followed the walls back inside to get to the kitchen.  
Noctis was right behind him, worriedly watched every step he took, prepared to catch him if he fell; he had no idea about how being blind worked out but he was quite certain about that handling knives while being blind, was a bad idea.  
"How about teaching me to cook instead? You have always told me that it is good to know stuff and cooking is good stuff, is it not? Eating certainly is." He asked in a subtle attempt to keep his friend from getting hurt, though it did not work out.  
"It is indeed, but you are sick and I do not want you sniveling in the food. Find the bathroom, blow your nose, wash your hands and set the table for three, you and I are eating out when we have found an inn or a motel. There is no reason to stay here in their way and overdue our welcome." He answered casually and felt his way through to find what needed in order to make anything edible. Noctis frowned and watched him with concern, he could tell that something made Ignis reluctant to leave; he bit his lower lip and decided to ask him straight out.  
"Do you even want to leave Ignis? If you and Snow have made good friends, let us settle down with Prompto, Gladio and Iris in this village. It is not like we have somewhere else to go…" He asked and scratched the back of his neck. Ignis sighed, put some vegetables and butter on the bench and then started to roam the refrigerator.  
"Will you please do as told for once? We can speak about that later. I want your stomach filled and your bum in bed before you get any sicker." He muttered and held a bag of something frozen up for Noctis to look at.  
"As you are still here, make yourself a bit useful and tell me what this is please." Noctis snorted and read at the label on the bag; it was not easy as Snow's handwriting was quite messy.  
"Mincemeat and you do not have to be so edgy just for a simple question." He mumbled a bit hurt by the harsh answer and turned around to search for the bathroom.  
The chancellor leaned his forearms on the kitchen bench and tried to breathe deeply.  
The pain in his ribs and in his eyes made it hard to stay humble, but he knew that he had to do everything in his power not to make Noctis further upset.  
There was a quite good reason to why he did not want to go back before he had healed in the first place, but of course, the prince would not listen to that ear.  
He never did, and that started to get on his nerves. Was there a way for the prince to learn that he had to take others wishes, feelings and thoughts into consideration? If there was, he wanted to find it and quickly, before he damaged his friendship with Prompto and Gladiolus beyond repair.  
He knew that Noctis would be forgiven by them after a while, but the prince would never forgive himself and that would be in the way of efficiency and trust.  
He muttered something under his breath and put the bag of frozen mincemeat in a bowl of hot water before he started to chop the vegetables with a bit of difficulty.  
Noctis soon came back and set the table before he went to his side and looked at the iron pot on the stove.  
"Do you want me to do anything more? Cutting maybe?" He asked silently not to startle him while he held the knife.  
Ignis smiled amused and nodded towards the sink where the bowl of water stood.  
"You are not touching sharp objects even when healthy; you do have the concentration rate of a drunken Chocobo Noct. If you want to help, refill that bowl with hot water please, preferably without burning yourself." The prince scowled and huffed, pretended to get insulted by the words.  
"Pfft… is that a way to talk to a prince? I should feed you with those slimy snail things from Niflheim." He muttered and poured the chilled water out and put some hot water in. The Chancellor shook his head and chuckled amused at his hopelessly ignorant ward.  
"The name is escargot and they are from Tenebrae my dear, you should know that.  
You tasted it last time you were there and got scolded for making a scene when you saw that is was snails." Noctis mumbled something and put the bowl back at the sink unit.  
"Yea… well… I tried to forget about that… I do not like being scolded you know, especially not in public places and I got scared, it sounded good and then they came with snails! Who in their right mind eat such things?" He exclaimed and folded his arms with a pout.  
"Behave yourself. Escargot is a delicacy and you should learn to treat other's feelings and thoughts with a bit more respect, and if you do not like being scolded I would suggest that you stop giving me reasons to scold you." He answered with a pant, his rib still ached and he figured that he would need to lie down and rest for a while after he was done.  
"Yea yea mum… I hear you… do you think Prompto is okay?" He asked and scratched his cheek.  
"He wanted you to call him when I arrived to confirm that I have reached you unharmed. He does not trust my word for it." He said and took a step back from the bench.  
Ignis put the vegetables in another bowl for the time being and answered him.  
"Honestly? None of us are okay Noctis, you least of us. You may be strong but you have witnessed something terrible very close up.  
I will call Prompto after dinner is ready and talk to him, though Gladio is with him so there is no reason to worry. The two of them work well together."  
The prince nodded and watched the ceiling and then poked the mincemeat with a fork to see if it had defrosted enough.  
"I hope you are right…" He mumbled and dried his cheek off with his sleeve.  
"I think I might have scared him big time… and hurt him equal as much. I will call him myself now and come back when I am done." He mumbled and picked his phone up from his pocket. Ignis straightened his back and nodded once.  
"Sounds good, but you are staying in bed while calling, you need to rest." He said and described the way to the room where he slept.  
Noctis nodded and soon Ignis was alone in the kitchen. When dinner was done, Ignis put the pot of mincemeat sauce and spaghetti on a cold spot at the stove, the salad was in a glass bowl at the bench; he just had the time to put it all down before he heard the voices in the hallway.  
"You are so unfair, Lightning! You cannot just say things like that, you are hurting his feelings!" Serah said sourly, folded her arms and stared angrily at her elder sister.  
Lightning sighed heavily and rolled her eyes as she took her shoes off and entered the kitchen. She did not notice Ignis at all where he was standing, leaned against the kitchen bench.  
"He is not good enough for you; he is a selfish, hypocritical brat with hubris, you would do far better off with that annoying childish prince, you drooled over on the airship, at least he is capable of courting a lady." She snapped and turned around slightly blushed when Ignis cleared his throat; he then raised an eyebrow at the direction of her voice.  
"I would greatly appreciate if you kept His Highness out of such a sensitive subject Miss Farron; he has just lost his betrothed to war, and you should consider that around your sister too, weapons are not the only sharp things you are carrying. Please choose your words with better care." He scolded with demanding sternness and walked passed her, excused himself to Serah as he bumped into her and left the house as well as a pair of stunned women behind.  
After been searching for a while for a relatively quiet spot, he took a seat at the ground near the house wall, leaned against it and called Gladiolus with the voice demand-function. He then closed his eyes and pulled his knee up to rest his arm on it while waiting.  
It did not take long for him to get an answer from his friend.  
"Hi Specs, how ya doing?" Ignis frowned and was quiet while trying to understand what he heard as much as he tried to come up with an answer to the question, he eventually decided to answer with a question of his own.  
"Do you by any chance know where our second ward is located?" He asked dryly and pinched the bridge of his nose as he leaned his head back against the wall.  
He was met by a self-conscious gruff in his ear followed by a reluctant answer.  
"Noct you mean? Well… he is supposed to be around here, how come?" The older man asked and scratched his cheek. A highly irritating sigh passed Ignis' lips before he answered with a dangerously low voice.  
"Of course I mean Noct… who else? Santa Claus? Define 'suppose to be around' and answer the god damn question.  
Why did he show up here without a warning! Do you not realize that he could have died! By the Gods… do I have to be a fulltime mother of three for the rest of my life?" He barked and took a hissing breath. Gladiolus snorted and shook his head; he could not believe that the same boy made it across half the country and all the way to New Bodhum on his own, he who could not even tell a carrot and a turnip apart.  
"Hey… do not die on me now. You really should find a doctor for those ribs Specs." He said worriedly and glanced in the direction of Prompto who yelled livid in the phone, scolding his friend.  
"I messed up, I know. Do you not think that I blame myself for it? I should have kept both my eyes on him; I failed my duty, I am very well aware of that.  
It does not excuse his royal sorry arse's behavior, does it? He will so regret this!" Ignis shook his head and tried to relax not to hurt even more as he spoke.  
"There is no need for such a language to pester my ear and Gladio? We are all and none to blame. I am sorry. Noctis and I talked for a while after I chewed his ears off, he understands that what he did was wrong and dangerous; I should have spoken more clearly to him regarding my returning. Speaking of that… is Prompto feeling well enough to travel within the next following days? I think it might be doing us all good to be reunited and this is a rather comfortable place; a smaller city on the coast side." He said and turned his face upwards towards the sky, longed, to once again, see the bright blue color, the burning sunrise, the colorful birds and butterflies… And just for once, catch a glimpse of his rescuer's face. He snapped back to reality by his friend's voice and blushed deeply by the thought of Snow.  
"Sure seems like it by the way he is running around and screaming. I have no idea what they are talking about." He said, sighed heavily and covered the microphone to bark at the younger one to calm down. Ignis chuckled, the familiar sound of their arguing warmed him up a little and he felt his body instantly relax.  
"You cannot imagine how nice it is to hear your bickering again and to think that we only have been separated for about two weeks. It feels more than that due to the circumstances." Gladiolus grunted at something Prompto said and answered his friend on the phone.  
"Surely does. I will pack us together and we will be there as soon as possible. I have a royal arse to kick, and do not dare to think that you can get away with turning your phone off." He said almost angrily and canceled the call. Ignis smiled fondly and put his phone in his pocket, rose from the ground and stroke his hand over his cheek.  
Things seemed to work out pretty well after all, despite their setbacks, all he needed to do from that point was to find somewhere to stay, and for that, he would need some help.


End file.
